Oklahoma Security Guard Practice Exam

What is not a rule in writing good notes?

1. Be systematic, sequential and chronological

2. Erasing errors and mistakes

3. Write in simple, clear English

4. Do not leave spaces

The correct answer is: Erasing errors and mistakes

In writing good notes, particularly for security guards, the rule is not to erase errors and mistakes. Instead, these should be crossed out with a single line so that the initial information is still legible beneath the cross out. The reason for this is to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the notes which may serve as legal documents and evidence in court cases connected with incidents a security guard was part of or witnessed. The notes must represent a true, uninterrupted account of events. Erasing errors and rewriting could cause doubt about the validity of information and it could appear as falsification of facts, so it is not a good practice. Therefore, mistakes should be simply struck out and corrected, not erased.